Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Richard Sandomir of The New York Times: "To some degree, Derek Fisher’s active role is similar to the path carved by Gene Upshaw, the Oakland Raiders offensive lineman who took over as the executive director of the National Football League Players Association after his retirement. But in the recent N.F.L. lockout, Upshaw’s successor, DeMaurice Smith, a lawyer, was the outspoken leader. In contrast, Fisher is the one out front in these talks, dealing with what the former N.B.A. union president Isiah Thomas describes as a mental and a physical challenge in confronting the experienced Stern. Adam Silver, the deputy commissioner of the N.B.A., praised Fisher’s preparation and ability to stay calm during the talks. 'In the well over 30 bargaining sessions, I cannot remember a single incident where he raised his voice,' Silver said. 'And, just a reminder — David Stern is in the room.' Fisher, in turn, sounds as if he may want to push past the usual tactfulness when he discusses Stern, a forceful personality in every facet of the job he has held since 1984. 'He’s a very smart man, but he and I have chosen to handle this negotiation very differently,' Fisher said. 'He’s trying to be strategic, bold, spin things to favor the owners. While he chooses to do that, I, along with the players, will stay the course.' "

Alan Hahn of Newsday: "The league is scheduled to hold a Board of Governors meeting Wednesday and Thursday, during which time Stern said a new revenue-sharing plan -- one of the many issues in collective bargaining -- will be presented for approval. But if there remains no progress with the union after Tuesday, these meetings with the owners also may involve a decision to cancel more regular-season games -- perhaps as many as two months."

Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register: "Seriously, Jerry West's revelations are the most real NBA 'news' we've had in a long time with the NBA on lockout lockdown. It has been BRI this, revenue-sharing that, Kobe flirting with Italians and LeBron trying to make nice with Ohioans. Instead of gearing up for their collision course en route to the 2012 NBA Finals – and we saw how fun it was in 2010 with the Lakers and Celtics to have the two best teams both deeply motivated to take it – the Lakers and Heat don't exist at all yet. This is how ridiculous this alternate NBA universe is: Lakers broadcaster Mychal Thompson technically can't comment about the start of son Klay's career being delayed by the lockout. Mychal is a Lakers employee – and Lakers employees are not allowed by the league to talk about the lockout or current NBA players! Meanwhile, the players' exhibitions being put on are such weak stuff. With the stigma of NBA players not really trying until the fourth quarter or the playoffs, do we really need to see more NBA players out there just for show and not really trying? Playing fake games with fake context makes for a doubly shallow pursuit."

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News: "The Kobe Bryant of mediators will attempt to do something Tuesday that NBA owners and players have failed to accomplish in more than two years of negotiating. Get the two sides to strike a deal. Federal mediator George Cohen will meet with the warring parties in Manhattan. It's the first bargaining session in eight days, after talks broke off over major differences in the 'system' issues and commissioner David Stern canceled the first two weeks of the season. ... 'What George will do is listen carefully to the parties bitch and moan about their economic lives, but hopefully hear something which may present an opening for compromise,' said Roger Abrams, a mediator and Northeastern University law professor who calls Cohen 'the superstar of our profession.' "

Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald: "Oh, so this is what a game of multimillion dollar chicken looks like. Heading into today’s attempt by a federal mediator to bring the NBA and its players toward a collective bargaining agreement, we have each side essentially tossing rocks through the other’s window with notes that read, 'You don’t want any of this.' And it’s not so much what one will do to the other, it’s what each will cost the other. The league will cost the players millions by keeping the doors locked. The players will cost some franchises millions by refusing a new deal. The poorer franchises will lose less by not playing. And overall, the players are saying the NBA will do itself irreparable harm by shelving its product for weeks, months or the season. ... Away from the posturing and the intellectual strength of their position, the players have to privately know they will take a hit and there’s nothing much they can do about it. At a certain point, they’re going to want to leave the chicken to the Red Sox and go back to their finer dining."

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: "Dwight Howard finally said out loud what Orlando Magic fans have feared for a long time: Playing for a big-market franchise could appeal to him if he becomes a free agent next summer. In an Esquire magazine interview released Monday, the All-NBA center said he doesn't know whether he'll choose to leave the Magic. But he did acknowledge that he's 'stuck in a tough position' and that he 'can't live for everybody else.' Howard was asked whether he sees himself playing in a much larger market and whether his decision will be influenced by his drive to become an icon and make the world a better place. 'There's more you can do in a bigger place,' Howard answered, according to Esquire. 'I'm stuck in a tough position because I feel like right now, where I'm at, I've done so much. And I just don't know what else I can do. I can't live for everybody else. I don't know what decision I'm gonna make as of right now. It's been crazy. Everybody wants me to come here, come play here, come to our team, do this. It's a great feeling, though, to be wanted.' "

Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer: "Cavaliers swingman Omri Casspi, according to reports in Israel, has been negotiating with powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv. But as of Monday night no deal was in place, sources told the Plain Dealer, and that the club might not want to tinker with its chemistry. There's little question some Israeli teams would love to sign Casspi during the NBA lockout, but they lack of money to make a deal. He is the only Israeli-born player in the league. ... Maccabi, which has won 49 domestic titles and five European championships, has virtually sold all its tickets and doesn't need the added exposure that Casspi would generate, according to the Ma'ari Sports Newspaper. The newspaper contacted three other Israeli sides that have been mentioned as possible candidates. Two lack the money. Meanwhile, a team source told Ma'avi that Hapoel Gilboa-Galil would 'be happy to see Omri here, but there's no negotiations right now.' "

Kate Fagan of The Philadelphia Inquirer: "The 76ers will introduce their new ownership group during a news conference on Tuesday at the Palestra, an NBA source confirmed. The Sixers issued a release for a 'major announcement' late on Monday, but the release did not specify the nature of the announcement. At the end of last week, the NBA approved Comcast-Spectacor's sale of the Sixers to a group of investors led by New York billionaire Joshua Harris; at that time, the news conference was tentatively scheduled for Tuesday. Tuesday's news conference will be the first time the new ownership group - which includes Harris, David Blitzer, Art Wrubel, and Jason Levien - will speak publicly about their $280 million purchase of the Sixers. The news conference is scheduled to commence at 11:30 a.m."

Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News: "Few have as much to lose as Manu Ginobili in this hissing match between billionaires and millionaires. At age 34, with a reckless style that enables his brilliance but endangers his limbs, the Spurs star sees the rapid approach of retirement. He is under contract to the Spurs this season and next, at long last compensated at value commensurate with his worth. Lose this season — as David Stern hints may happen if there is no breakthrough by the end of today’s intervention by federal mediator George Cohen — and Ginobili will forfeit almost $13 million and perhaps his final chance to be part of the Spurs’ Big Three. After all, Tim Duncan, 36, has only this season remaining on his deal with the Spurs. Even with so much to lose, Ginobili’s solidarity with the union was no surprise. 'Remember this,' said Ginobili’s veteran agent, Herb Rudoy. 'Manu is the ultimate team player. He is remarkable, particularly when you see him with those Argentina guys. They all play for the collective good of their national team; Manu doesn’t care if he gets five points or 25. It’s all about team, and that’s the only way to look at him and not be surprised by his position on union solidarity. It’s part of his mentality; part of the fabric that makes him Manu Ginobili.' "

Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: "Although the Sixers will retain the right to match offers for Thaddeus Young, the midlevel could be one way for teams to bid for the versatile forward's services. Young finished third in voting for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award after he averaged 12.7 points and shot a career-high 54.1 percent during the regular season. 'I definitely want to go back to Philly,' Young said. 'Coach (Doug) Collins is a great coach. I had my best season under him.' It's fair to say that Young has put optimism above a cash grab. Young said he turned down a $3 million offer to play in China this season. One reason few players have signed in China is because the teams there do not offer an out clause that would allow for a return to the NBA if the lockout ends in time to have a 2011-12 season. 'I weighed it really heavily for the simple fact that it would have been a great level of competition,' Young said. 'But I thought long term instead of short term. It was just a one-year deal. I don't just want to play someplace for one year. I want a long-term deal.' "

Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel: "Milwaukee Bucks forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute believes he will be playing basketball again by the end of November. But he is determined not to come back until National Basketball Association players receive what they consider a fair deal from league owners. Mbah a Moute was one of the 30 or so players who attended a meeting Friday in Los Angeles, where union president Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers updated them on the negotiations to reach a new collective bargaining agreement. 'There are still a whole lot of things that need to be worked out in the system,' Mbah a Moute said in an interview Monday. 'It's still very different from what we want.' "

Jody Genessy of the Deseret News: "Tired of reading and hearing about this NBA lockout, which has now mired on for 110 days — or about as long as one of Karl Malone's rambling rants used to last? If so, you're temporarily in luck. This article is about the current lockout's daddy (a.k.a. the 1998-99 labor mess that wiped out 32 games and denied Utah Jazz fans extra opportunities to boo referee Dick Bavetta). Thirteen years later, Jazz faithful only need to take a quick stroll through the archives to learn they'd rather history not repeat itself. Not just because the season was shortened to a brutal 50 games in under three months, which took a heavy toll on aging Jazz legs. It was those infamous rants delivered by the Mailman's mouth the last time the NBA padlocked arenas that fans might not want to relive. But they did make for interesting water-cooler discussions (and just imagine the fun tweeters would've had)."

Michael Lee of The Washington Post: "The day before he suited up for yet another Goodman League charity exhibition game, John Wall was back at Big Blue Madness in Lexington, Ky., with several other Kentucky stars, including Rajon Rondo, DeMarcus Cousins and Tayshaun Prince. Wall didn’t start another YouTube dancing craze, but he did leave an impression with an enthusiastic welcome from fans and T-shirt that read, 'All Cats Every Thing.' No NBA, so it’s All Class Every Thing. (Nick Wass - AP) “It was great,” Wall said of being back on campus in Lexington, where the Wildcats are expected to be among the favorites to win the national title in the upcoming season. 'They got a talented team and hopefully they can win a championship.' Since the NBA has been taken away from him for the time being, Wall has had to find other ways to occupy his time. He recently left Los Angeles and is alternating between Washington and Lexington, where he has accepted Kentucky Coach John Calipari’s invitation to train during the lockout."

Staff of the Detroit Free Press: "Pistons forward Austin Daye may be out of the country, but he's still following Detroit sports and weighing in on Twitter. Daye, who is playing for the Russian basketball team BC Khimki, has tweeted that he's 'missin that Detroit Love' and mentioned playoffs for the Tigers, Lions, Red Wings and Pistons. He's also tweeting about his Russian experiences. Here are a few tweets: 'Just got back from seeing Red Square in Moscow Russian what an experience!!!' -- 'Finally got free wifi @ my favorite restaurant in Moscow.' -- 'No ESPN in Russia is #Terrible #fact.' "

Tim Griffin of the San Antonio Express-News: "Michael Jordan’s celebrated will to win helped spark his Chicago Bulls teams to six NBA championships during his playing career. His Charlotte Bobcats haven’t been nearly as successful since he took over as a member of the moribund team’s ownership group. It’s a little harder to connect with players from the luxury box or courtside seat than it is the bench. And indication of Jordan’s legendary competitive zeal apparently rubbed off on former President Bill Clinton. During a recent golf game, a challenge from 'His Airness' helped lead Clinton to one of his better recent outings. Jordan coaxed him from the white tees to the championship tees by saying, 'You’re going to play from the little girls’ tee?,' Clinton told the Wall Street Journal. Jordan’s challenge was for Clinton to break 100, which the former president accomplished. With direction like that, imagine what Jordan could do from the bench with young Charlotte players like D.J. Augustin, Tyrus Thomas and Bismack Biyombo. Maybe he should be coaching?"

Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: Kevin Durant's All-Star exhibition game is approaching a sellout. And it took just five hours to get there after tickets went on sale at noon Monday. According to Brad Lund of Sold Out Strategies, the company organizing the event, 9,215 tickets had been sold for Sunday's US Fleet Tracking Basketball Invitational as of 5 p.m. on Monday. Capacity for the game, which will be held inside the Cox Convention Center, is projected to be 13,400. ... Confirmed players who will join Durant in Oklahoma City will be former Oklahoma standout Blake Griffin, Miami star LeBron James, New Orleans guard Chris Paul, New York forwards Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, Memphis forward Rudy Gay, Washington guard John Wall, former Thunder forward Jeff Green and Thunder guards Russell Westbrook and James Harden."

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "Amid the NBA lockout, few things are back and white. There is an exception, though it took the release of a video game to make that apparent. Included in the release of NBA 2K12 is an alternate-jersey option for the Heat, one never before worn in game action by the team, but one that has been confirmed will be part of the rotation should the 2011-12 season eventually get under way. The jersey, a stark black-and-white offering that was utilized on the team's 2010-11 poster, will be used only for a few, select games, with the traditional black and the alternate red uniforms to remain the staples beyond the home whites."

Press Release: 2011 Nissan Titan Full-Size Pickup Offers Rugged Utility, Comfortable Interior and Standard 317-Horsepower 5.6-liter V8 When the original Nissan Titan full-size pickup was first introduced it sent shock waves through the segment with its innovative bed design, high standard of interior comfort and convenience features and, of course, its rugged truck frame and powerful 317-horsepower Nissan Endurance V8 engine. Entering the 2011 model year, the popular Titan continues to set the bar high. Following a number of enhancements for 2010, the Nissan Titan full-size ...

Eric Gordon believes his fellow NBA players will stand strong throughout the lockout. About 60 minutes before the Indiana Hoosiers started basketball practice Saturday night, Gordon told reporters at his former college that he did not believe players would fold under the pressure to save the NBA season.

Sullinger actually did end up using Subway to help lose weight, according to USA Today.

Afterward, Sullinger started studying game film, worked on his conditioning and offensive moves and cut back on Wendy's and McDonald's in favor of Subway and salads. "It really helped me out, because my game has stepped to another level," he says. "And it's going to improve from there."

[Coach Thad] Matta expects Sullinger to be quicker on the perimeter. Known for his post play, Sullinger could use a face-up game to confound opponents.

As a result of the dieting, Sullinger was all the way down to 264 pounds at Ohio State's media day, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.

When he arrived on campus from Columbus Northland High School, Sullinger weighed 292 pounds, according to assistant coach Jeff Boals. At OSU’s basketball media day on Thursday, Sullinger was down to 264 pounds on his 6-foot-9 frame. His muscles are more defined. His cheeks appeared almost gaunt.

“He’s lost all his baby fat,” Boals said.

Sullinger might succumb to a Domino’s Pizza temptation occasionally, but Boals said Sullinger gave up his frequent trips to Five Guys for hamburgers.

While Five Guys, McDonald's and Wendy's might not be pursuing Sullinger as a pitchman once he turns pro, Sullinger could very well end up boosting his game on the court.

He'll have a better body in his quest to lead the Buckeyes to the Final Four and challenge for the national player of the year award.

What We Like: What makes the Camry the right car for so many families is its overall competence in all aspects of everyday driving, and this advertisement does a good job of reminding consumers that the 2012 Camry has all the bells and whistles you could want while also managing to be safe (10 airbags) and efficient (43 miles per gallon for the hybrid).

There's a techy side to the ad, but it's not full of techno-babble and it comes across in an easy manner. Plus, the pooch at the end adds just the right amount of levity.

What We Don't Like: Not much. The ad hits all the major points Toyota wants to put into the minds of consumers, and does so in a clever way. As enthusiasts, we always love to see great driving footage and ad copy that focuses on the actual act of piloting a car, but that's really not what the Camry - and indeed most of this entire automotive segment - is all about.

Strategy: There isn't a single model that Toyota sells in the United States that's more crucial to its success than the mid-size Camry sedan. This car, along with the Corolla, is the machine that Toyota's stellar reputation for quality and reliability was built on.

Toyota needs to get the message out that the Camry is all new while also reminding everyone how great past Camry models have been for the car's intended segment, and it's hoping to do that with a campaign that stretches from radio and television to billboards and print media and straight on through to social networking. The company will also be putting on 125 events all around the country to put drivers in the seat of its latest Camry.

None of that even touches on all the bad press Toyota has gotten in the past few years for recalls and supposed safety concerns, and Toyota certainly wants to forget all about the dark days of its past. This campaign will look to put Toyota in a positive light again and the 2012 Camry is the car that will lead Toyota's hoped-for sales resurgence. For more on its overall strategy, hit the jump for a complete press release... but feel free to watch the video first.

NBA players and owners are meeting with a federal mediator, and Commissioner David Stern believes more games could be canceled if there isn't movement toward a new labor deal. George Cohen tried to resolve the NFL's labor dispute. Now he's overseeing basketball's negotiations for the first time.

If there was anything Bijan Pakzad loved more than clothing A-list celebrities and heads of state, it was creating the most luxurious automobiles around. The Persian fashion designer (commonly known by his first name alone) owned a one-of-a-kind custom yellow Bugatti Veyron, and before he died, he commissioned a second Grand Sport roadster in his trademark color.

Decked out in Bijan yellow from the body (including hood, window frame, mirrors and wheels) to the interior, the special DHC has Bijan signature touches all around, including a diamond-pavé watch embedded in the dashboard and a picnic set (complete with crystal stemware) in the trunk.

A limited quantity of these unique and extroverted convertibles will be made available at a price reported as high as $1.6 million, and are sure to be snapped up by the same Middle Eastern sheikhs who draped themselves in Bijan's luxurious suits.

Glenn James/NBAE/Getty ImagesBlake Griffin's high-flying act vaulted him into our Top 10. Does he deserve his ranking?

Thirty-four months ago, Blake Griffin sat alone in the players' lounge at the Clippers' training facility while his teammates traversed the country on an extended road trip. Griffin, drafted first overall the previous June, had just finished another joyless workout to rehab his injured left knee. He'd logged hours in treatment and the weight room but not a single minute on the floor.

Griffin spoke about how the isolation of the rehabilitation process felt like jail and how the prospect of never getting a chance nagged at him. At the time, Griffin seemed downbeat, but you couldn't exactly blame him. He was a serious guy who ran up sand dunes at dawn and was meticulously disciplined about nutrition and fitness, and how did all that work pay off? With a fractured patella.

We now know that Griffin is hilarious, a total cut-up who picked up an internship at Funny or Die last summer. Considering that in retrospect, Griffin was more than just dejected during those solitary days in Playa Vista during rehab. He was downright morose. That guy didn't remotely resemble the one who took down the 2011 Rookie of the Year Award with 118 out of 118 votes and did so in unprecedented style.

Griffin not only made an impact last season -- he became a phenomenon. He dazzled opponents with his theatrics, made the Clippers compulsory late-night viewing and routinely and immediately trended on Twitter when he delivered a slam. Only a select group of NBA stars can move the needle on an ordinary January night in the NBA, and Griffin's thunderous dunks ushered him into that club as fast as any rookie in NBA history.

Those are all impressive résumé�items in a league whose primary currency is superstardom, but does it make him one of the 10 best players in the NBA?

AP Photo/Sue OgrockiGriffin is leading another evolution of the power forward position.

When they realized that Griffin had made the top 10 after just one season, ahead of proven stars Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and Pau Gasol, the Twitterverse immediately lambastedthechoice. Wasn't Griffin's elite ranking nothing more than a lazy nod to Griffin's advanced dunkology and the tantalizing promise of what he might be? In terms of the official criterion of "current quality," was Griffin really already there?

It's a tough call. The scores were separated by a razor-thin margin, with Griffin edging out those behind him by a fraction of a point. Griffin consistently earned a nine rating from voters. There were clearly�just enough doubts about the others -- whether about defense, intensity or leadership -- that Griffin was able to squeak by them.

Looking at our most reliable statistical data, Griffin ranks 15th in player efficiency rating (PER) at 21.93�-- ahead of Melo, but behind both Pau and Amare.

In value added, the estimated number of points a player adds to a team’s season total above a replacement player (essentially a 12th man), Griffin ranked 11th, as he did in estimated wins added, the estimated number of wins a player adds to a team’s season total above that 12th man. In both those categories, Griffin ranked ahead of Stoudemire and Anthony.

These might seem like obscure stats, but they're among our best approximations of a player's value. And they take durability into account. Griffin played 82 games last season, an impressive feat considering the kind of injury he sustained the previous season.

If you want some less abstract statistics, Griffin performs well across the board. Among power forwards who started more than 50 games, Griffin's rebounding rate of 18.6 ranked fourth in that category, while his assist rate of 14.1 ranked sixth.

Critics will argue that Griffin's counterparts bring a more complete suite of tools to the court, but that's not the exercise here. We're engaged in the old skills versus production debate. Griffin might not be any better than Gasol, Stoudemire or Anthony at their best, by overall measure, Griffin's contributions are enormous -- no matter how he's generating his shots.

Now about those dunks ...

They're not just displays of showmanship or catnip for highlight producers. At their essence, dunks are the most high-percentage shots on the floor -- and only Dwight Howard had more of them (Griffin's teammate DeAndre Jordan ranked a distant third). For a scorer, there's virtually no skill more efficient than the capacity to create shots at the rim. Griffin's proficiency from midrange was below average -- but he attempted only 4.6 shots per game from that range, while racking up 7.3 shot attempts per game at the rim, five of which were successful every night. Zach Randolph, Greg Monroe and Carlos Boozer (a surprise) are among the very few who come close to matching that.

John Krolik summed up why this is such a vital talent: "[T]he most valuable skill in basketball is not the ability to convert difficult shots, but create easy ones."

In some sense, Griffin is a combination of a throwback power forward who lives on the block and the modern space monster who works away from the basket. To that effect, he's innovating the power forward position.�He generates most of his offense at the rim, but can place his launching pad anywhere on the floor between the perimeter and the post. His one-on-one game below the foul line is virtually unstoppable.

Is ranking Griffin 10th more of a bet on what's to come than a perfect measure of the player? A teeny bit. Does it allow attributes that aren't necessarily quantifiable, even if they are consequential, to seep into the conversation? Perhaps.

But Griffin's overall game makes its own case -- with or without the charisma.

In the sixth major software update to Ford'sSYNC system, the automaker is extending Message Access Protocol (MAP) Bluetooth support to select 2011 and 2012 models, giving drivers the ability to have text messages and emails read aloud in their SYNC-equipped vehicles.

MAP Bluetooth support has been available on a number of Ford vehicles since its introduction this year, but the software update (G1 V3.2.2) extends the functionality to supported a number of bluetooth equipped smartphones to allow users to hear SMS, MMS and email messages over the stereo. The update is set to roll out later this month and you can get all the details in the press blast below the fold.

Deron Williams scored 11 points and had five assists to help Besiktas to a 107-69 victory over Bandirma Kirmizi on Sunday in the NBA player's Turkish league debut. New Jersey Nets guard Williams -- a two-time NBA all-star -- is among a number of players from the North American league signed to overseas clubs until the end of the lockout.

What We Like: What makes the Camry the right car for so many families is its overall competence in all aspects of everyday driving, and this advertisement does a good job of reminding consumers that the 2012 Camry has all the bells and whistles you could want while also managing to be safe (10 airbags) and efficient (43 miles per gallon for the hybrid).

There's a techy side to the ad, but it's not full of techno-babble and it comes across in an easy manner. Plus, the pooch at the end adds just the right amount of levity.

What We Don't Like: Not much. The ad hits all the major points Toyota wants to put into the minds of consumers, and does so in a clever way. As enthusiasts, we always love to see great driving footage and ad copy that focuses on the actual act of piloting a car, but that's really not what the Camry - and indeed most of this entire automotive segment - is all about.

Strategy: There isn't a single model that Toyota sells in the United States that's more crucial to its success than the mid-size Camry sedan. This car, along with the Corolla, is the machine that Toyota's stellar reputation for quality and reliability was built on.

Toyota needs to get the message out that the Camry is all new while also reminding everyone how great past Camry models have been for the car's intended segment, and it's hoping to do that with a campaign that stretches from radio and television to billboards and print media and straight on through to social networking. The company will also be putting on 125 events all around the country to put drivers in the seat of its latest Camry.

None of that even touches on all the bad press Toyota has gotten in the past few years for recalls and supposed safety concerns, and Toyota certainly wants to forget all about the dark days of its past. This campaign will look to put Toyota in a positive light again and the 2012 Camry is the car that will lead Toyota's hoped-for sales resurgence. For more on its overall strategy, hit the jump for a complete press release... but feel free to watch the video first.

Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant is looking for some concessions from NBA owners to help end the lockout. "They got to meet us at some point," Durant said after playing in an exhibition game at a DC-area high school on Saturday. "I feel like (the owners) aren't helping us out -- they're not trying meet us halfway with it." Durant said the players had "sacrificed a...

If you have never heard about Zoleco before reading this news, don’t worry, you are not the only one. We haven’t either, at least not before we received an email from them in our inbox. Zoleco is a new start up company which is creating the Zoleco sports car. The company, and the car, is a combination of the founder’s name (Zoltan Bod) and the cars main theme which is to be friendly to the environment... eco.

The new Zoleco "is combining the scientific approach with practicality and common sense in creating a means of personal transportation that addresses energy conservation through research and implementation of a variety of energy efficiency technologies."

Zoleco will be built using light weight chromoly tubing in a full perimeter space frame configuration including a full roll cage embracing the body structure. The car’s base engine is a 3 cylinder turbo charged gasoline engine mated to a 5 speed manual transmission.

Initial details suggest that with only 8.2 HP the car can maintain a top speed of 65mph and deliver an impressive 91.4 mpg. With 80 HP the car can hit a top speed of 145 mph, but Zoleco is also talking about a top speed of 200 mph.

The new car will be making its television debut on the Discovery Channels on Oct 17 at 8:00 PM, Pacific time.

If there was anything Bijan Pakzad loved more than clothing A-list celebrities and heads of state, it was creating the most luxurious automobiles around. The Persian fashion designer (commonly known by his first name alone) owned a one-of-a-kind custom yellow Bugatti Veyron, and before he died, he commissioned a second Grand Sport roadster in his trademark color.

Decked out in Bijan yellow from the body (including hood, window frame, mirrors and wheels) to the interior, the special DHC has Bijan signature touches all around, including a diamond-pavé watch embedded in the dashboard and a picnic set (complete with crystal stemware) in the trunk.

A limited quantity of these unique and extroverted convertibles will be made available at a price reported as high as $1.6 million, and are sure to be snapped up by the same Middle Eastern sheikhs who draped themselves in Bijan's luxurious suits.

When Mercedes unveiled the Shooting Brake concept last year we believed there is no way we will see it put into production. But recent spy shots proved us wrong. After all if Ferrari has unveiled the FF, why Mercedes shouldn’t also come with a Shooting Brake version for the CLS?

And while spy photographers have only caught the standard version testing, we made a step forward and imagined a possible AMG version of the future Shooting Brake model. The new model will be the perfect vehicle for those who want to combine a standard family car with the sportiness of the CLS 63 AMG sedan.

Just like with the sedan version you should expect a more aggressive design language defined by a V-shaped bonnet, a more powerful front apron, larger air intakes, an AMG rear apron with black diffuser insert and dual twin chrome tailpipes. And of course that under the hood there will be the same 5.5-liter V8 biturbo engine that delivers 525 HP and 516 lbs-ft of torque and mated to an AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission and Controlled Efficiency stop/start function.

The new CLS Shooting Brake is expected to make its world debut in the summer of 2012, with sales to begin shortly after.

George Will of The Washington Post: "The NBA's dispute, which has already caused cancellation of the preseason and the first two weeks of the regular season, at a cost of perhaps $500 million, illustrates an agreeable truth: Man is an economic animal, rationally maximizing income, except when he isn't. Many of the players are prepared to lose substantial income by prolonging negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement. They are doing so to win concessions that will primarily benefit players much younger than Garnett. Fans accuse the players of avarice, but the longer the impasse persists, and the larger the losses, the more altruism will explain this."

Jim Ingraham of The News-Herald: "I find it hilarious, for example, the NBA owners feel like they are really putting the screws to the players’ union by staging a lockout. Many of the players who are being locked out already have so much money they don’t have to work another day in their lives. ... I don’t care if grandstanding Delonte West is working as a stock boy in a furniture store or not. All I know is Kris Humphries is so worried about not having a paycheck he killed some time during the lockout by marrying one of the Kardashians. Kris Humphries? I mean, it’s not like these locked-out NBA players, in the grand scheme of things, are being prevented from doing something that is critical to the advancement of mankind. It’s not like they are teachers, inventors, doctors or the judges on 'American Idol.' Locking out NBA players from playing basketball is basically like canceling recess."

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: "In a mob scene Saturday reminiscent of — dare it be said — the unveiling of early Air Jordan models, Derrick Rose thrilled fans, some of whom had been waiting since 2 a.m., with midday appearances at two downtown stores to promote his new adidas shoe. Rose also continued to unveil the self-assuredness that has helped him become the youngest most valuable player in NBA history on the court and an eloquent spokesman off it. In pointed comments about the NBA lockout, Rose turned up the volume beyond the aw-shucks routine of his rookie season. 'Everybody knows it's not our fault,' Rose said, naturally taking the side of his fellow players. 'If it was up to us, we'd be out there playing. I think that it's wrong. I know (the owners) can easily take care of it and not take advantage of people. I guess that's how people are. 'It's very sad. They're not thinking about anything we're saying. They're not taking into consideration anything we're trying to give them.' "

Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: "Is this NBA lockout -- the league's first since a similar dispute shortened the 1998-99 season to 50 games -- really about ensuring that competitive balance? Or if owners agree to a new system that doesn't have a restrictive hard salary cap and rules that allow small-market teams to keep their star players, is it simply a play for more money? And will any conceivable system ever really save owners from themselves? The NHL missed an entire season in 2004-05 in the name of a new owner-friendly system, and yet, soon after, those same owners went looking for every loophole they could find in the pursuit of a title. The NHL's hard cap ensured small-market teams could again compete with wealthy Detroit, Toronto and the New York Rangers. But it also has seen Chicago dismantle its championship team just months after winning the 2010 Stanley Cup, and the league next summer could be right back in a standoff over a new labor agreement. ... No system will stop NBA general managers and owners from unwise drafting or silly spending, although owners seek shorter player contracts that aren't fully guaranteed in the final years in any new deal as a way to protect themselves from injuries or their own bad decisions."

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "The point being that if players want to find a way, they can find a way. Under the previous agreement. Under a draconian new one. Stern acknowledged as much during his NBA TV interview, admitting that the reduction of Bird Rights, the increase of the luxury tax, the hardening of the cap can only do so much to sway player preference. 'There are natural advantages to certain cities,' he said. 'Some people like lakes, and you can go to cities with lakes. Some people like the ocean and you can go to South Beach. But there is an increasing sense that 'glamorous' cities have an edge and I guess it's always been that way.' For Wade, James and Bosh there will be difficult decisions as early as their 2014 opt-outs, decisions compounded by a CBA that well may be loaded with one-way signs out of South Beach. But the three made it work before and the hunch is no matter the configuration of any new CBA, none will be announcing intentions of eventually taking their talents to Sacramento, Minnesota or Milwaukee."

Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune: "Just 10 months ago the New Orleans Hornets were an economically foundering team on the brink of extinction in New Orleans, nearly sold to an out-of-town billionaire with designs on relocation, before NBA Commissioner David Stern took the unprecedented step of having the league purchase the team to prevent it from being spirited away. Jac Sperling, the New Orleans native Stern appointed, is the franchise’s chairman and governor and has helped dramatically improve the team’s financial viability. He spearheaded a drive to sell 10,000 season tickets and is negotiating a long-term lease renewal with the State of Louisiana. Sperling believes once the season-ticket goal is attained, the Hornets will be able to introduce a new owner and new lease agreement simultaneously. Sperling sat down with Times-Picayune Hornets beat writer Jimmy Smith for a Q&A this week and addressed myriad subjects, including the fact there will be no exit clause in the new lease a new owner could exercise to threaten a future move, and how NBA owners view the Hornets’ plight."

Bob Young of The Arizona Republic: "However, now that NBA Commissioner David Stern has declared Tuesday as the last day - seriously, he isn't kidding this time - that an agreement can be reached before the league will have to cancel its big Christmas Day tripleheader and likely lose most of the season, maybe it's time to re-examine Hahn's idea. In fact, we'd take it a step further if the NBA actually ends up cancelling the entire season. Why not get all the shoe brands involved? The website hoopshype.com maintains a list of all the sneaker brands and the players who endorse them. One could easily come up with 12 teams or more, all of them stocked with at least a few All-Stars and with plenty of players left over to rotate onto the rosters, which could range from 15 to 20 players. Nike, of course, is the monster. There are 188 NBA players listed as Nike endorsers, including 45 former All-Stars."

Andy Young of The Denver Post: "Downtown Denver businesses, especially those catering to the Pepsi Center crowd, are bracing for a chilly winter with the growing prospect that the Denver Nuggets? won't play a game before the new year. Area bars and restaurants, pedicabs and sports-apparel stores estimate that 10 percent to 50 percent of their business comes from hoops-related sales. Each Nuggets home game generates about $1.5 million in economic activity for the city, according to the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp. Over the course of the regular season, opposing teams and their entourages book an estimated 4,000 hotel rooms, equivalent to the size of a medium convention. That could be wiped out as National Basketball Association team owners and players struggle to reach a new labor agreement. The first two weeks of the season have been canceled, and NBA commissioner David Stern? said last week that games through Christmas will likely be called off if a deal isn't reached by Tuesday."

Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune: "But here’s the thing, Jazz fans. While owners and players slug it out after news conferences and through text messages, and plausibly serious threats to cancel Christmas are followed by gun-to-your-head references, the billionaires are actually your best friends. Moreover, they’re looking out for you. The millionaires? Not so much. ... In one single CBA, the NBA can attempt to fix what was shattered when LeBron James fled to Miami and Carmelo Anthony turned a ridiculous hostage situation in Denver into new digs in The Big Apple. Will it work? We’ll see. Revenue sharing must improve. Some small-market teams (ahem, Minnesota) must make better decisions. But the owners have made it this far by sticking to their guns and remembering that everyone lost last season when messy Milwaukee played sorry Sacramento. If the billionaires can stand united for the long haul, maybe the NBA can actually become competitive again. And maybe, just maybe, the Jazz can draft an annual All-Star and keep him in uniform for more than 5?1/2 years."

Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times: "Jerry West, the Lakers' Mr. Clutch who was an All-Star in all 14 of his NBA seasons before helping assemble teams that won six NBA titles as Lakers general manager from 1982-2000, says in his new book that his personnel job was 'like putting on a Broadway play and hope you cast it perfectly.' In 'West By West: My Charmed, Tormented Life,' to be released this week, the 73-year-old Hall of Famer, newly hired as special advisor to the Golden State Warriors, reveals the dark drama that swirled around and within him during his legendary run in Los Angeles. He writes of beatings and an absence of love being raised by his father, Howard, in West Virginia; of the Korean War death of his immensely kind brother, David; and of fighting the demons of depression and insecurity during both the lows of repeated NBA Finals losses to the Boston Celtics as a player and the highs of his last title as GM."

Carla Peay of The Washington Times: "On a chilly Sunday morning in October, 18 basketball players showed up to pursue a dream. The setting was an open tryout for the NBA Developmental League Champion Iowa Energy, the WizardsD-League affiliate, held on Oct. 16 at the Northern Virginia Sportsplex. The tryout was a six-hour process of drills, running, and three games of two 20-minute halves. Players who show promise will have their names submitted to the league office, and will become eligible to be drafted. The Energy will invite 17 players to training camp, which starts in mid-November. The team’s final roster has 10 spots. But for players looking to impress the Energy coaches and general manager, the criteria for making a D-League team might not be what you’d expect. 'You’re not going to find a superstar at an open tryout for a D-League team,' said Energy general manager Chris Makris. 'Guys think if they make it to the D-League and score 25 points a game, an NBA general manager will notice them. NBA GM’s are smarter than that. NBA teams already have scorers. They’re looking for the same thing we are, guys who can transfer their game to what we need at this level, guys who have a high basketball IQ.' In other words, the team is looking for role players, and good ones."

Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee: "Now 26 and back in his hometown, Zach Andrews is a compelling success story – a product of a foster care system who at times was homeless and who, on more than a few occasions, despaired over his bleak circumstances. His late father was never in the picture. His mother is still around, he said, but was never really there. He often visits his old high school (class of 2003) to encourage other youngsters confronting similar situations but also to reconnect with the former teachers, counselors and coaches he says "transformed" his life. In his four years at Cordova, he discovered theater arts and developed decent study habits, and as he grew into his gangly 6-foot-9 frame, emerged as one of the area's elite basketball players. ... Andrews last weekend tried out for the L.A. D-fenders, the Lakers' minor league affiliate headed by former Kings coach Eric Musselman. If Musselman offers a job, Andrews will take it. But he still plans to try out for the Kings' affiliate, the Reno Bighorns, next Sunday. In his gut, he hopes the Kings come through. He already has had conversations with the team – sort of."

The tax would start at $1.75 in penalty payments for every dollar a team is over the tax threshold. Say goodbye to the dollar-for-dollar hit, which was the maximum penalty a team could pay under the old system.

That $1.75-to-1 ratio would last for the first $5 million a team is over the tax line. For every $5 million increment after that, the penalty would jump by 50 cents per dollar. So, for spending over the threshold between $5 million and $10 million, the penalty would be $2.25-to-1. For spending between $10 million and $15 million, it would be $2.75-to-1. And so on.

The tax threshold would begin near where it did last season, when the salary cap was $58 million and teams crossed into luxury-tax territory at the $70 million mark.

If a team has gotten into tax territory, say, twice over the preceding four seasons and finds itself over the tax line a third time, the penalty�triples in each spending range.� In other words, that $1.75-to-1 ratio that kicks off the tax in Year 1 would jump to $5.25-to-1 for a team paying the tax a third time.

Billy Hunter and Derek Fisher are adamant that such a tax would function just like a hard cap, in that it would create a point beyond which no owner would spend.

There's a reason players are open to milder luxury tax, however: It's a way for James Dolan and Jerry Buss to pay more than their fair share of player salaries. Luxury tax is a way to, in effect, get Jim Dolan's Knicks to pay for Michael Heisley's Grizzlies to sign players. A little bit of that brand of revenue sharing could make a better market for players.

I asked a union official how they know where that player-friendly effect stops, and where the de facto hard cap kicks in.

His answer was that their economist Kevin Murphy had the task of predicting how owners would spend under the last CBA, back when it was new. Looking back, they realize his work was, the official says, "pretty much perfect."

This time around, the players are trusting that Murphy can repeat the trick of predicting how NBA owners will spend. When his work shows a tax is high enough to deter all spending, they consider that a hard cap.

So as the league comes up with a tax they say is not really a hard cap, they don't just have to convince players. They also have to convince that genius.